Joost Raphelengius

Justus Raphelengius, Latin name for Joost van Ravelingen, lived in Leiden in the 16/17th century. He was the third son of the famous orientalist Franciscus Raphelengius (Lille 1539- Leiden 1597) who had studied Latin, Greek and Hebrew in Paris and was appointed a professor of Hebrew in Leiden in 1586. Franciscus set up a publishing firm in Leiden. This publishing firm was well known for their best set of Arab types in the whole of Northern Europe. Joost - as well physician - continued this publishing firm. In Leiden - since 1574 a Protestant city - the university (founded in 1575 by the Stadholder William of Orange) had become a very important university in the Northern Netherlands and attracted lots of people. Although Joost remained Catholic and his brothers were Protestants, this did not disturb the unity of the family nor did it hamper the excellent relation with other clients with different religions. His grandfather was the famous Antwerp printer Christopher Plantin (Kingdom France 1520-Antwerp 1589). In 1613 Joost published his father’s Lexicon Arabicum.